It was a bolt from the blue.
“President Han!”
“Director Lee? Why the rush so early in the morning…?”
“It looks like Shinhwa Department Store has caught the scent! Of Eoreumgol Farm!”
“…”
President Han Yu-jin’s eyes gradually widened. She had thought his behavior was just unseasonable fussing.
‘This is a real emergency.’
She had told him herself — to set everything else aside and report even the smallest details regarding Eoreumgol Farm.
“Tell me everything.”
“A friend of mine works in the buying department at Shinhwa Department Store. A man named Director Jang Hak-su…”
“I remember. He was the one you recommended, whom I tried to scout myself? That was about two years ago.”
Director Lee Do-kyung looked moved.
“You remember him. Yes, that’s right.”
“Could it be that Director Jang…?”
“He asked me indirectly over drinks yesterday. He mentioned a place called Goeseong Eoreumgol Farm and asked if I knew anything about it.”
“Suddenly, over drinks?”
“Judging by the atmosphere, he seemed to already know that some of Eoreumgol Farm’s produce is being distributed through us.”
Naturally, Han Yu-jin’s face grew serious as well.
“I heard you two were close friends. You didn’t tell him any specifics, did you?”
“Of course not. I gave him a vague answer. However, from the vibe, it felt like he was ready to head down to Eoreumgol Farm himself even without my explanation.”
Well, it would have been different if they didn’t know. But now that they were aware of its existence, Shinhwa Department Store was not the type to sit idly by. Hadn’t her grandfather already mentioned it? Word was already spreading quietly, even reaching as far as the Blue House.
“This is a problem. We haven’t even stamped the contract yet…”
As expected, a verbal agreement alone was unstable. What if this fact eventually reached the farm?
‘They might change their mind.’
No, honestly, she would have been anxious even if the contract had been stamped. A giant like Shinhwa Department Store would start a money war, even if it meant paying the penalty for breach of contract. Eoreumgol Farm was certainly worth that much.
“Once the initial volume is produced, I think we can handle it somehow on our end… regardless of tests or anything, we can just sweep up all the remaining stock.”
Director Lee Do-kyung, who said this, peeked at her reaction.
“Should I try to press them?”
“No. They would find that unpleasant,” Han Yu-jin said firmly, as if the idea wasn’t even worth considering.
“President Baek clearly stated his intentions to us. He said full-scale delivery will happen after the farm expansion is finished. Furthermore, I gave him my word. I told him he could confirm the needs of VIPs at the business circle meetings and distribute goods through direct sales if he wished.”
“Mmm… This is difficult.”
“For now, I’ll try to contact him personally.”
President Han Yu-jin immediately picked up her phone. Even if she was going to nudge him, she had to phrase it carefully. So, the best move in this situation was…
***
— If you could deliver the initial batch within this year… No, even if you just promise to do so, I will pay 300 million won as a signing bonus immediately.
“!”
An unrealistic amount echoed through the receiver. It was exactly ten times the initial amount offered. Naturally, my pupils wavered.
“…Wait a moment. Did you say a signing bonus, not an advance?”
— Yes! I’m not talking about an advance to be deducted from future sales, but a signing bonus in the form of a real bonus.
This woman was serious. Since she was going this far, my curiosity couldn’t help but grow.
“You’ve already offered sufficiently good terms, so may I ask why you’re going this far?”
The answer to my question was simple and clear.
— Because I don’t want to lose you.
And she was honest.
— It’s one thing if I hadn’t seen it. But since I’ve even seen the expansion of the production facilities, as a partner hoping for a long-term journey, I believe this level of investment is natural.
…This was natural? No, it wasn’t. I had seen countless contracts in my time, but I had never heard of conditions like these.
— I just hope you understand how sincere we are about Eoreumgol Farm.
“…I understand what you’re saying for now. However, I don’t think I can promise to deliver within this year right away.”
Before any misunderstanding could arise, I quickly continued.
“Aside from the construction, even if we plant crops in that ground immediately, they aren’t ready to be sold right away. I’m not sure what we’ll be planting yet, but it’s already late summer, so whatever it is, wouldn’t it be tight to finish within the year?”
— Ah…! I’m sorry. I got excited and made an unreasonable request without meaning to.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll contact you as soon as the construction is finished. Naturally, I will consider your offer as my top priority.”
— Yes! We will be waiting for your call anytime! My offer will remain valid until then!
“Thank you.”
I let out a sigh after hanging up. Soon, a vast expanse of farmland unfolded before my eyes. Looking at the empty field where nothing yet existed, it seemed my answer just now was the right one.
‘Though that 300 million won is a bit of a shame.’
Since she said the offer would remain valid, what was left was how to finish the reclamation work. Furthermore, a minor (?) problem had recently cropped up.
“Hey, young man!”
He had arrived just in time. That minor problem.
“Didn’t I tell you back then? This land from here to here is mine.”
It was the neighbor, Old Man Gu, who was over 70 years old. Of course, that “from here to here” was strictly our land. According to the neighbors, he had been showing signs of dementia lately. Just looking at the fact that he couldn’t recognize me, even though I used to greet him quite often when I was young…
“Are you going to keep trespassing on my border!? If you keep this up, I’m calling the police!”
He must have looked up some laws on his own, as he was now shouting about legalities. Actually, this kind of thing was quite common in the countryside. Someone uses a piece of land for a long time thinking it’s theirs, only to find out later that it belongs to someone else. Why, hadn’t something similar happened in Seoul recently? That apartment complex in Apgujeong scheduled for reconstruction. They thought the land belonged to the residents, but after checking the documents, it turned out most of it was owned by the construction company. It was much worse in the countryside. There were no separate markings, and most of the land was just farm plots without a single building.
‘The adverse possession system makes it even more of a headache.’
Adverse possession. Under civil law, it was a system where one could acquire ownership of another person’s real estate if they peacefully occupied it for a certain period.
“Sir, do you really want to see me call the police!?”
“!”
That was when my father appeared.
“This is really too much. Seo-jun even pulled all the documents to show you!”
“How dare you speak to your elder like that!”
“Am I saying anything wrong!?”
I quickly stepped into the middle.
“Everyone, please calm down for now.”
Old Man Gu. His body was trembling so much I was worried he might collapse backward. Especially given his age.
“In the first place, this land is all dead! No farming can be done here! Do you think I left it abandoned for nothing!? Anyway, what does a young brat like you know about farming here!”
Huh? No matter how you looked at it, that didn’t seem right.
“You’re saying this land is dead?”
“What? You don’t believe me? Do you want to bet? If crops grow here, I’ll back off without a word. And!”
*Thump!*
Old Man Gu struck the ground with his cane.
“You know my family runs a fertilizer shop, right? I’ll provide all of it for free.”
“Sir, do you mean that?”
“Of course I mean it! Instead, if you can’t grow crops, don’t even dream about encroaching on my land!”
“No, if it’s dead land anyway, why are you so greedy for it? And I’m telling you, it’s my land!”
“Then sue me!”
Oof, just listening to this made my head throb. Of course, the law would be on our side. But the problem wasn’t winning or losing. It was the fact that continuing a conflict, lawsuit, or dispute with a neighbor was exhausting in itself. Bluntly put, would the village elders actually accept it even if they lost the lawsuit? Therefore, “peacefully” was the best way whenever possible.
“Now, now. I told you both to calm down.”
***
After finally seeing the two of them back to their respective homes.
“Phew. I’m drained.”
I sighed as I returned to the land being reclaimed. Of course, it would be a lie to say that what I just heard didn’t bother me.
‘This is all dead land?’
My brow furrowed instinctively. No matter how much I looked, that didn’t seem to be the case…
*Pat-pat-pat!*
I didn’t have to look far; just seeing the Snowflakes hopping around nearby was proof enough.
— Follow me!
— This is our land now, too!
— Let’s build a house quickly!
Not long after I started the expansion work, they had expanded their territory to this place. Of course, they were still Snowflakes that only I could see.
I reached down.
“…Look at this. Because of them, the soil is already extraordinary.”
During my college days, I had traveled to southeastern Turkey. The soil there was exactly like this. It was so full of nutrients that it felt sticky to the touch. The color wasn’t a clay-like yellow, but a dark black like this. The smell went without saying. A thick, deep scent, like one you’d find by a river after it rained, stimulated my sense of smell. I found it so fascinating that I studied it separately after returning.
‘That was the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia.’
Mesopotamia. The land where humanity first grew grain. Fertile soil created by the annual flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. They say that if you just throw a seed there, it sprouts, and new life grows wherever the river has flowed. Thus, the ancients even called it “God’s blessing.”
“But the soil here is a bit different from that.”
Having fingered the soil for quite a while, I suddenly froze.
“…Wait a minute.”
At the same time, my pupils shook violently.
“The soil is frozen?”
True to its name, Eoreumgol, I felt a chill from the soil deep beneath the surface. The color was also slightly different. The soil below, turned up by the tractor, revealed a “blue-black” color rather than just black. However, upon contact with my body heat, the chill released itself and quickly revealed moist particles.
‘Could this be Gelisol?’
A piece of knowledge came to mind, and my eyes widened. A very mysterious soil found only in the permafrost of polar regions and high mountains. Because of the cold temperatures, organic matter cannot rot, so nutrients have accumulated and been preserved intact for thousands of years. It is said that plants planted there grow like crazy.
“…Is it because of you guys?”
I muttered blankly while keeping my eyes fixed on the Snowflakes. The chill of the Ice Valley keeps this land cool all year round. And the Snowflakes hop between the soil particles, letting minerals like frost flowers soak in. Despite my fingertips being cold, it was a contradictory sensation full of vitality. It was as if the silence of winter and the life of spring dwelled within it simultaneously.
‘This isn’t just frozen ground. It’s a different dimension of land created by the combination of a special region like the Ice Valley and the Snowflakes.’
I realized it instinctively. Neither the fertile plains of Mesopotamia, nor the Andisols famous for their volcanic ash soil, nor the black soil of Ukraine could compare to this land.
‘If I plant seeds in this soil, what kind of crops will grow?’
My heart swelled with excitement. I had already raised such miraculous crops in ordinary soil. I was thrilled to see what kind of things would be born in this new land.
“…But wait, doesn’t this solve three problems at once?”
I could meet the delivery deadline within the year. Avoid a dispute with a neighbor. And even get free fertilizer. Ah! Do I even need fertilizer now?
“Excuse me.”
And right at that moment, guests arrived. It was two men.
“We are from Shinhwa Department Store.”